The 7 best beginner’s exercises to do at home

If you are looking to get started on a fitness regime this year, you’re in luck and we have just the thing for you! We’re bent on providing you with a quick and easy guide on the best beginner’s exercises you can do while at home – hitting the gym is not such a good idea when the cold weather comes.

An alternative is to set up a home gym with a treadmill and other fitness equipment based on your needs and budget. Here are some exercises you can perform from the comfort of your home.

Press-up

This is the most basic exercise which activates most of your body muscles. It’s very easy to do and easy to keep track on the reps you’ve done.

How to do it?

Lay down on your stomach, legs straight and in parallel. Your arms should be in line with your shoulders, push yourself from the ground and you’ve got it.

How to determine the reps?

Take into account your physical constitution, your stamina, and weight. It’s always better to do fewer reps in larger series.

Squats

Another exercise which is as old as time – squatting is the best way to improve your stamina and leg muscles, but your abs will also get definition.

How to do it?

While standing still perform a motion which will look as if you wanted to sit and get back up. Your back needs to be perfectly straight while your feet need to be firmly on the ground.

How to determine the reps?

The moment your legs begin to hurt is when you want to do a couple more crunches. Don’t overdo it and refrain from sitting after you’re done – take a walk for at least five minutes.

Sit-ups

This exercise focuses on your abs. Doing it is very simple and it’s ideal for beginners because it’s very easy to do and don’t tire you as much as the other exercises. However, they can be quite nasty the day after – it’s not easy to know how much reps you need to do because the pain starts a few hours after you’re done.

How to do it?

There are a lot of variations, but the simplest way to do it is to lay still on the floor, affix your legs under a bed or anything similar, lift your upper body and slowly get back. Repeat.

How to determine the reps?

Determining the exact number of repetitions you’re going to do is not so easy as your body will hurt after you’re done. Start small and perform one more after each day (or after each completed series).

Jumping Jacks

Most fitness trainers recommend this exercise for beginners because they’re easy to do and strain most of your muscles. They’re ideal to do at home if there’s no one living below, but even if that’s not the case, simply get a training mat.

How to do it?

On the first jump expand your legs in a vertical motion while retracting your arms in the opposite direction and vice versa.

How to determine the reps?

Same as with squats. When you start to hurt, do a couple more and finish it up.

Plank

Planking looks like it’s the easiest exercise to do at home, but it’s not. It strains your body a lot, but the benefits are tremendous. Your stamina and muscles reap the benefits.

How to do it?

Simply lay in the press-up position, place your elbows and your forearms on the floor, your legs and back need to be perfectly straight. Remain in that position for as long you can.

How to determine the reps?

The repetitions of this exercise are not important – the time you’re planking is. Don’t give up as soon as you are starting to hurt, but endure a couple seconds more.

Leg crunches

As the name implies, your legs will do the work here. It’s very easy to do it and determine how much repetitions you need, and it’s perfect for beginners as it can be done anywhere at any time without any additional equipment.

How to do it?

Lay perfectly still with your entire body being stiff. Your legs need to be straight and decide if you’re going to lift them both at once, or one at a time. Bend your leg and press it up against your chest while your upper body remains still. Repeat.

How to determine the reps?

As soon as your upper body and head begin to fall out of place, end the exercise.

Shadow Box

Shadow boxing was invented by boxers, and it’s one of the exercises that’s famously implemented in the training regimes of MMA fighters and kickboxers. It’s a freestyle of various punches, leg kicks, and guard movement which is interrupted at random times with a sprawl or a jumping jack.

How to do it?

It’s best that you do this exercise when you’re tired from other exercises. Move around, throw a couple of punches in the air, do a jumping jack at random times (whenever you hear a specific sound on your radio, TV, or anything similar might do the trick.)

How to determine the reps?

It’s measured in time, so it’s best that you start with a one-minute rep. Progressively add more time when you get the hang of it.

By Evelyn Kail

Evelyn helps people to live a happy and healthier life. She is an established Health and Fitness author (over 12 years of experience) and editor of garagegymplanner.com. She also loves writing about people and inspirational stories.